Spring Training

As the Orioles' pitchers and catchers conduct their first spring workout Sunday at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, two of the team's most valued arms will be closely monitored. Left-hander Zach Britton , ailing from lingering left-shoulder inflammation, had a successful second throwing session Saturday in Sarasota. He will get Sunday off before taking a major step forward — throwing on back-to-back days for the first time — Monday and Tuesday. And right-hander Jim Johnson , the favorite to secure the closer role this spring, will be slowed by lower-back discomfort.

H ere's the best thing you can say about this awful winter we're having: Spring training is finally here. Oh, no, not for you or me. We're not that fortunate. No swaying palm trees and lush, green ballparks for us. No leisurely morning workouts under the Florida sun and 2 p.m. tee times. No, we're stuck here in this snowy, frozen wasteland with our shovels and jumper cables and giant bags of rock salt, getting ready for the next blast of Siberian weather to hit. But Orioles pitchers and catchers report Wednesday to the team's new spring training home in Sarasota, and the first workout is Thursday.

The architectural style is "Florida Picturesque," and the baseball amenities make Ed Smith Stadium a field of dreams, but there really is only one way to describe the dramatic restoration project that has created a beautiful new home away from home for the Orioles. Long overdue. Two decades after they began their quest for a new all-purpose spring training facility, the Orioles will christen Ed Smith Stadium on Tuesday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays in what will be a celebration for an organization that has endured substandard and outdated spring facilities for years.

Orioles top prospect Dylan Bundy was among the eight players cut from the Orioles big league camp travel roster. Bundy, who threw a scoreless inning in relief against the Red Sox, was optioned to Class-A Delmarva. Because Bundy signed a major league contract last August after he was the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft, the move counts as the first of his three minor league options. It also is an indicator that the flame-throwing right hander will begin his pro career in the South Atlantic League.

The evaluation process that will determine the makeup of the Orioles' 25-man major league roster started two weeks ago, but it will heat up considerably when the team opens the Grapefruit League exhibition season Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at nearby McKechnie Field in Bradenton. There hasn't been a lot of attrition yet, even though the future of rotation candidate Justin Duchscherer was thrown into doubt by hip soreness Saturday, so there will be some real competition for several roles and even some intrigue over how the final roster will shake out. So, what's the biggest decision facing manager Buck Showalter as right-hander Brad Bergesen prepares to take the first turn in the spring rotation Monday and the Orioles get ready to debut the newly renovated Ed Smith Stadium on Tuesday?

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles are on the field doing some pre-workout stretching as I type.  It looks like we're going to avoid the thunderstorms that were predicted to go through the Sarasota area. The weather's been incredible here so far -- knock on wood. I talked a little bit to Orioles non-roster invitee Nick Johnson this morning. Everyone says if Johnson can stay healthy, he has a really good shot of making this team. He would be a nice compliment to Chris Davis at first and Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette likes his track record of having a good on-base percentage.

The Orioles' new spring training facility is all but complete. The second phase of the construction process is basically down to a punch list, and the stadium complex is truly one of the most scenic in the Grapefruit League. Now, the construction of the ballclub is about to get underway with the first workout for pitchers and catchers Sunday. There is little chance of this team being as aesthetically pleasing as the group of buildings the O's will call home for the next six weeks, but everyone seems to agree that spring training will be an interesting — though not necessarily uplifting — experience.